Convertible hoist



Nov. 30, 1937. E STAHL 7 2,100,674

CONVERTIBLE HOI S '1 Filed July 6, 1955 Patented Nov. 30, 1937 PATENT OFFICE CONVERTIBLE HOIST Frank E. Stahl, Tonawanda, N. Y., assignor to ColumbusMoKinnon Chain Corporation, Tuna- Wanda, N. Y., a corporation of New York Application July 6, 1935, Serial No. 30,181

1 Claim. (Cl. 254-169) My invention relates generally to hoists and more particularly to a detachable pin for a movable hoist block.

My invention is particularly applicable to a hoist having a single chain with a load hook at the lower end thereof. It is sometimes desirable to increase the capacityof such a hoist and my invention provides a movable hoist block which may be used in connection with the chain of the hoist to increase its capacity without having to disturb the regular hook supplied at the end of the hoist chain. In order that such a device be useful, however, it is essential that it be possible to attach the same to the load chain of the hoist without having to disturb the hook regularly supplied with the chain.

One of the principal objects of my invention has been to provide a convertible hoist having a movable, load engaging, hoist block so designed that it may be easily engaged with or removed from the loop formed in the hoist chain.

Another object has been to provide the hoist with means for detachably receiving a part of the load chain near the load hook thereof so as to provide a loop for the reception of the movable block.

Moreover, the hoist block of my invention is so arranged that, while the movable block pin may be easily removed, it is prevented from accidental displacement.

The above objects and advantages have been accomplished by the device shown in the accompanying drawing, of which:

Fig. 1 shows a side view of my improved hoist.

Fig. 2 is an enlarged, sectional view showing the movable hoist block thereof.

Fig. 3 is an enlarged, side view of the chain hook of my hoist.

Fig. 4 is a face View of the same.

In the drawing I have shown a gear type hoist which is actuated by means of a ratchet lever but, obviously, the invention is just as advantageously employed in connection with a hoist having a hand chain.

In the drawing, 5 represents the hoist and 6 the ratchet lever for operating the same. The hoist is provided with a casing I which encloses the gears (not shown). The chain engaging member 8 is carried by the casing. This chain hook is formed with a longitudinal recess 9 on each side of which is a lug Ill having a pocket ll formed therein for the reception of two adjacent chain links.

In the drawing, I2 is the regular, single load chain of the hoist which is provided at its lower end with the regular permanently attached hook I3 and swivel 14. When the capacity of my hoist is to beincreased, sufiicient chain is run through the hoist to make a depending loop therein, and a number of links adjacent the swivel l4 are en- 5 gaged with the chain engaging member 8 so as to detachably hold a part of the chain near the load hook end thereof.

A load-engaging block 20, forming part of my invention, is nowengaged with the loop in the load chain, as shown in Fig. 2. This block comprises a frame or yoke 2| to which is pivotally attached a load hook 22. A chain wheel 23 is pivotally carried by the yoke 2| of the block and is mounted upon a pin 24. In order to make my hoist easily convertible, it must be possible to quickly and easily remove the pin 24 of the chain wheel so that such wheel may be placed in detachable engagement with that part of the load chain of the hoist which forms the loop, as just above described. In order to have the pin removable, I provide an annular groove 25 near its outer end and make the length of the pin somewhat shorter than the distance between the faces 26 and 2! of the frame. The pin is provided with a head 28 which bears against the surface 26 and limits its inward movement. A plunger 29 is slidably mounted in a bore 30 formed in one of the arms of the frame 2| and this plunger is provided with a rounded inner end 3|. A flange 32 is also provided on the plunger which engages with a shoulder 33 formed by an enlarged bore 34. The flange 32 of the plunger engaging with this shoulder limits the inward movement of the plunger for reasons to be hereinafter described. A helical spring 35 is mounted in the bore 34 and. a screw 36 is mounted in the outer end of the bore, serving to retain the spring in its adjusted position. The walls of the groove 25 and the end 3| of the plunger are so formed that by striking the inner end 31 of the pin, the groove 25 may be disengaged from the plunger, which will be moved inwardly against the tension of the spring 35, and permit the pin to be removed from the frame and from the wheel, whereupon, the wheel may be removed from the frame and placed in the loop formed for it in the load chain. When the pin is removed, the flange 32 will engage the shoulder 33 and prevent the plunger from being pushed out of the bore 30. After the wheel is placed in the loop and engaged with the chain, the frame is then engaged with the wheel and the pin 24 is again passed through the openings formed for it in the frame and is driven to place by being tapped on the head 28. The end 31 of the pin is provided with a chamfer 38 which engages with the end 3| of the plunger 29 and serves to depress the same sufficiently to allow the end 3! to pass by it, whereupon, when the groove registers with the plunger, the plunger will be pressed upwardly by means of the spring and engaged with the groove. Since the end 31 does not extend to the surface 21, it will be obvious that the pin cannot be driven from its position by being accidentally struck.

It will be obvious from the foregoiong that the hoist may be easily converted from one capacity to another without having to disturb any permanent fastening means, it being only necessary to drive out the pin 24, either to disconnect the wheel 23 from the pin or to attach it thereto, and to hook or unhook the links near the load hook l3 of the chain hoist.

, While I have shown and described my invention as applied to a chain hoist, it is obvious that by slight changes, within the scope of my invention, it may be adapted for use on a cable hoist.

These and other modifications of the details herein shown and described may be made without departing from the spirit of my invention or the scope of the appended claim, and I do not, therefore, wish to be limited to the exact embodiment of the invention as herein shown and described.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim is:

A convertible hoist, comprising a casing, a single load chain having a load hook permanently secured to the end thereof, a chain engaging member carried by the casing for detachably receiving a part of the chain near the load hook thereof, whereby, when so engaged, a depending loop is formed in the chain, and a movable load engaging block engageable with the loop, com prising a frame, a load engaging hook carried by the frame, a pin carried by the frame, springpressed means for retaining the pin in detachable position, and a chain wheel pivotally mounted 

